MA Private Wealth Takes Position in Alphabet Inc. $GOOG

Key Points

• MA Private Wealth opened a new position in Alphabet in the fourth quarter, buying 5,863 shares valued at about $1.84 million.
• Alphabet reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $5.11 beating estimates and revenue of $109.9 billion topping forecasts, while revenue rose 21.8% year over year.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.22 per share, and several analysts lifted price targets, reflecting continued institutional and Wall Street confidence in the stock.

MA Private Wealth purchased a new stake in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 5,863 shares of the information services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,840,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Indivisible Partners purchased a new position in shares of Alphabet in the fourth quarter valued at $3,060,000. Navellier & Associates Inc. increased its position in shares of Alphabet by 11.4% in the fourth quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. now owns 6,515 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $2,044,000 after buying an additional 669 shares in the last quarter. RFG Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of Alphabet by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 35,473 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $11,131,000 after buying an additional 865 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of Alphabet by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 10,361,412 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $3,267,160,000 after buying an additional 442,581 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AssuredPartners Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Alphabet by 126.7% in the fourth quarter. AssuredPartners Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,062 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $3,471,000 after buying an additional 6,183 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 27.26% of the company's stock.

Alphabet Trading Down 1.0%

Alphabet stock opened at $393.32 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $4.77 trillion, a PE ratio of 30.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.25. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $327.44 and a 200 day moving average price of $316.98. Alphabet Inc. has a 52 week low of $163.33 and a 52 week high of $399.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.92, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The information services provider reported $5.11 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.68 by $2.43. The firm had revenue of $109.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $106.96 billion. Alphabet had a return on equity of 38.99% and a net margin of 37.92%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 21.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.81 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Alphabet Inc. will post 14.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 8th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 8th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. This is a boost from Alphabet's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. Alphabet's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6.41%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on GOOG. Oppenheimer raised their price target on Alphabet from $425.00 to $445.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday. Raymond James Financial restated a "strong-buy" rating and issued a $425.00 price target on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. TD Cowen raised their price target on Alphabet from $375.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $395.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $348.00 price objective (up from $345.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-eight have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Alphabet presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $363.40.

More Alphabet News

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America and other analysts are expecting major Gemini AI announcements at Google I/O, which could reinforce Alphabet’s leadership in AI and support the stock. BofA Sends Blunt Message for Alphabet Investors Ahead of Google I/O
• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its price target on Alphabet, and Erste Group also lifted earnings estimates, signaling stronger profit expectations ahead of Google I/O. Alphabet had its price target raised by Oppenheimer Holdings, Inc.
• Positive Sentiment: Several investors and funds, including Goldman Sachs and Egerton Capital, disclosed larger Alphabet stakes, suggesting continued institutional confidence. Fund Update: GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC Just Disclosed New Holdings
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Google’s Gemini Flash model is quietly gaining AI customers and that Alphabet is expanding AI infrastructure point to improving enterprise demand for its AI products. Google has been quietly gaining AI customers, even before big releases next week
• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet completed a record 576.5 billion yen bond offering to fund AI capex, showing it still has strong access to capital for its infrastructure buildout. Alphabet completes record-breaking yen bond issuance
• Neutral Sentiment: News that Google is in talks with SpaceX to launch data centers into space is intriguing, but it is still early-stage and speculative. Google in Talks with SpaceX to Launch Data Centers into Space
• Neutral Sentiment: Isomorphic Labs raised $2.1 billion to use AI for drug discovery, which highlights Alphabet’s broader AI ecosystem, but the direct stock impact is limited for now. Isomorphic Labs Raises $2.1 Billion to End Disease With AI
• Negative Sentiment: Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square sharply cut its GOOG and GOOGL positions, adding to concern that some large investors may be taking profits after the run-up. Fund Update: Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management, L.P. Just Disclosed New Holdings
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary says Alphabet’s heavy AI and cloud spending is pressuring free cash flow, raising questions about near-term margins and valuation. 6.7% AA2 Bond Yield From Alphabet, But There Is a Catch

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Alphabet news, CEO Sundar Pichai sold 32,500 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.89, for a total value of $10,006,425.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,642,060 shares in the company, valued at $505,573,853.40. The trade was a 1.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director John L. Hennessy sold 1,050 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $331.65, for a total value of $348,232.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 3,581 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,187,638.65. This trade represents a 22.67% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 157,953 shares of company stock worth $47,767,818 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 12.99% of the company's stock.

Alphabet Company Profile

Alphabet Inc NASDAQ: GOOG is a multinational technology holding company headquartered in Mountain View, California. Formed in 2015 through a corporate restructuring of Google, Alphabet serves as the parent to Google LLC and a portfolio of businesses collectively known as "Other Bets." Google was originally founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin; Alphabet is led by CEO Sundar Pichai, who oversees Google and the broader company while the founders remain prominent shareholders and influential figures in the company's history.

Alphabet's core business centers on internet search and advertising, with Google Search and the company's ad platforms (including Google Ads and AdSense) generating the majority of revenue by connecting advertisers with consumers worldwide.

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